1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed in general to the field of audiology and in particular to a computer-assisted method and system of assessing and analyzing hearing loss.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to recent studies, over 20 million people in the United States alone have some degree of hearing loss. The number of people worldwide who have some degree of hearing loss is estimated to be much greater. Not surprisingly, many of these people are unaware that they have suffered a decrease in hearing capacity. The decreased hearing capacity may be due to several factors, including age, health, occupation, injury, and disease. This loss of hearing can lead to significant reduction in quality of life, impaired relationships, reduced access to employment and diminished productivity. Failure to treat the hearing loss may worsen the impact. According to the Better Hearing Institute, the annual cost in the United States in terms of lost productivity, special education, and medical care due to untreated hearing loss is approximately $56 billion. Much of this staggering cost can be reduced or prevented by early detection and treatment. Unfortunately, few people obtain regular and frequent hearing tests as a part of their routine healthcare due to the lack of a simple, convenient, and relatively inexpensive hearing test.
Traditionally, a hearing test is conducted in a clinical setting by a hearing health professional, such as an audiologist, who manually administers the hearing test. The hearing health professional controls an audiometer to produce a series of tones that each have a specific frequency and intensity. The term “intensity” as used herein refers to the amplitude of the tone and is usually stated in decibels (dB). The tones are then conducted through a transducer, such as earphones or ear inserts, to the patient in a quiet room or sound isolation booth. For each tone that is audible, the patient gestures or otherwise indicates that he has heard the tone. If the tone is not audible, the patient does not respond. The hearing health professional thereafter adjusts the intensity level of the tone in preset increments until the tone becomes audible to the patient. By repeating this process for several different tones and compiling the results, the hearing health professional is able to determine the extent of the hearing loss, if any.
An advantage of having a hearing health professional manually administer the hearing test is the hearing health professional can use his considerable training and experience during the test. For example, by simply talking to the patient and varying the loudness of his voice, the hearing health professional can determine an initial intensity level at which to start the tones and sounds. Furthermore, the hearing health professional can adapt the pace of the test as needed to accommodate a tired or uncooperative patient. More importantly, the hearing health professional can discern between false responses or guesses and responses that are legitimate. Finally, the hearing health professional can adjust the results of the hearing test as needed to reflect extenuating circumstances or problems, such as excessive ambient noise, equipment limitations, and other similar factors.
Traditional audiometers and other hearing test equipment, however, can be awkward and difficult to use. For example, traditional audiometers typically require the hearing health professional to manually turn knobs and adjust dials. Test information such as frequency and intensity level must typically be read from needle gauge readouts. Moreover, the hearing health professional must manually perform many aspects of the hearing test, including plotting the hearing thresholds and setting the masking levels. All of this is not only inefficient and time consuming, but also conveys a “low-tech” look and feel that may instill doubt in the patient's mind regarding the accuracy of the test.
Accordingly, what is needed is a hearing test that can be administered by a hearing health professional without the shortcomings of the traditional hearing test. Specifically, what is needed is a user friendly hearing test that can be administered by the hearing health professional with the aid of a computer.